Post-partum hemorrhage is most commonly caused by uterine atony whereby the uterus fails to contract normally after the delivery of a baby. This condition occurs in about 5 percent of deliveries. Hemorrhage continues to be one of the major causes of maternal deaths generally, with obstetrical hemorrhage being the third leading cause of maternal death by hemorrhage in the United States. Worldwide, maternal hemorrhage qualifies as the leading cause of maternal death.
Techniques for managing obstetrical hemorrhage may be medical, mechanical, or surgical. Hysterectomy, while an effective surgical procedure for treating this condition, bears severe consequences, in particular for young women who have not completed childbearing.
One of the mechanical procedures often used for managing obstetrical hemorrhage involves packing the uterus with heavy gauze. This procedure remains controversial because of a high failure rate, and is considered a waste of time by some medical practitioners. The high failure rate is attributable to the inherent difficulty in packing the uterus properly so that there is an even distribution of pressure along the entire inner surface of the organ.
Accordingly, a more effective procedure is needed to address post-partum hemorrhage and bleeding. Ideally, the procedure should present minimal long-term health consequences to the patient, be quickly and easily accomplished, be easily learned and require no specialized instrumentation.
U.S. Patent Application No. US2001/0007945 published on Jul. 12, 2001 to Piraka, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety for all purposes, discloses a uterine balloon for controlling hemorrhaging in a patient after childbirth. The balloon of Piraka is filled with a liquid medium, such as water or saline solution, by means of a catheter inserted through a valve in the balloon. A fill system, a control system, and a pressure relief valve are each employed for maintaining a constant solution pressure in the balloon. However, the pressure of the liquid medium is difficult to control and manage, especially when the balloon is only partially filled with such liquid medium. Further, weight of the liquid medium imposes additional pressure on the lower portion of the vaginal or uterine wall, which intensifies the discomfort of the patient during the procedure and may even result in injury of the soft tissues on the vaginal or uterine wall.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a balloon catheter for controlling post-partum hemorrhage, with enhanced pressure control and reduced weight.